JennysUncle

Article in Daily Mail

FYI ArtAuctionsAbroad No mention of knowing anything about art. a CC thread on the VIP cruises

Errata - in the PDF of the Rotterdam Art Brochure the last page is duplicated and the next-to-last is missing.

Folks, "I Pee In The Pools" is just trolling us to see how long this thread can be kept going. Look at the screen name. We've said whether we like or dislike single or dual pianos. HAL has their own opinion, which we will eventually discover. Let's close this out.

Having fun at the piano

HAL may also be experimenting with the Billboard limitation to playlists. On the Eurodam Jan 13, the third set every night was all requests, and one night all three were requests. There were printed slips, and the two guys would pick through them. Still obviously for ones they knew somewhat, but they did have a big fake book app and could use the Internet. The performers were Gabriel and Steven, on the last cruise of their contract. Both good pianists, and Gabe with a wide vocal range and vocal styling to fit the songs. Best of many duos we have heard, and usually been unimpressed by. Gabe got a last minute rehire to start on the Nieuw Statendam shortly.

Currently on the Eurodam, with Starlink antennas. Very good speed at sea but seems much worse in ports. I just ran an Ookla speed test, and it says it is connecting through a shore side service.Maybe some contractual issue.

From Barry's Facebook page it seems that he has done a few cruise ship gigs since the resumption after covid, so is probably available.

Maybe they can get "Barry from Boston" back

poor "Stick Man" .... https://www.chroniclebooks.com/products/stick-man-s-really-bad-day

Some publicity pictures -- it doesn't look like the bar area. Maybe it's Nami Sushi that is being replaced, not Rudi's.

The HAL press release says that Morimoto By Sea will be added to the Nieuw Amsterdam by Tamarind. It would fit nicely as a replacement to the Tamarind Bar which, as I recall from some years ago, was extremely pleasant but very underused. You can do a Google Images search for Nieuw Amsterdam or Eurodam Tamarind Bar for pictures. There is no mention of it replacing Rudi's Sel de Mer on the Pinnacle ships, which seems to be just a rumor. Granted, Rudi's is underutilized compared to when it opened, but that would change quickly if they dropped the price back. That's a volume versus profit margin business decision.

Well, that's what they wanted me to do. Needlessly complicated, adjusting the daily rate over the whole cruise so the total winds up incrementally more. What there should be is a form to put X, over and above, into the Crew Appreciation fund.

I tried to do this, I think last year on the Nieuw Statendam. The front desk stonewalled, said there was no such thing - on two visits, three agents involved. Told me the only possibility would be to adjust the whole Hotel Service Charge rate, and that that required approval of one of the senior Hotel officers. I'd be interested if someone could post a copy of the form, to have for future proof.

Periodically someone will ask if you can take the bathrobes, towels, etc. that are in the stateroom. Yes -- but there is a charge. Here is the pricelist page that was on the stateroom TV on the Rotterdam in October 2023.

Tomas left the ship in Helsinki. He has been promoted to do training of other Entertainment Hosts, and then will be doing the World Cruise.

I presume this is supposed to be enticing, but what an interesting comparison to a HAL veranda cabin. The $5910 is phony - at online TAs, Virgin 7-days seem to be more like $2300, but even so... That room is *bare*. https://www.insider.com/virgin-voyages-sea-terrace-room-balcony-photo-cruise-cabin-tour-2023-8

This book goes into more detail https://www.amazon.com/Burning-Cold-Cruise-Prinsendam-Greatest/dp/0760320799

On every cruise, and on the survey after, I suggest that they post somewhere or sometime the names of the musicians in the groups onboard. Considering that they manage to do that, with bios besides, for the Lincoln Center, it can't be an impossible task. It seems like it would be a decent bit of recognition. But it must be toooo difficult. However, if you ask at the front desk in writing, they will print the roster for you, so they do know the names.

That space is the Sun Bar. It is on all three Pinnacle ships. Last May on the NS it was roped off for crew. Last Oct on R it was not roped but not staffed. This Feb on K it was operating. On both R and K, the counterpart space on the starboard side was roped off for crew.

Where is the library relative to other rooms? I can't figure that out from the obsolete deck plan online.

Hank, since you are going to be aboard for another segment, why not ask the bartenders how this happens? Then maybe you could "head them off at the pass" and save your self having to continually contact guest services.

Have you been able to check at what point the error is made ? It appears that the bartender's computer screens have menus and submenus with buttons to click for most drinks, with the computer looking up the price. And I would have thought that the computer would then look up your account, see that you have the drinks package, and adjust the charge - so that would imply a programming problem. But on the other hand, perhaps the waiter is supposed to be clicking an additional button to get the discounted price. Do your cards have any marking that the waiter should be noting ? That could be why it's erratic - a training issue.

Elsewhere it was reported that Third Ave West is a Piano / Guitar / Bass trio. That would make it a resurrection of the Neptunes. A search online turns up that they are assembled by RWS Entertainment, the same outfit that supplies the Rolling Stone Rock Group and the new Rolling Stone Lounge.

https://victoria.cruises/ https://www.businessinsider.com/victoria-cruise-lines-majestic-residential-cruise-ship-8000-month-photos-2023-2#-while-storylines-has-plans-to-launch-its-first-547-residence-ship-in-2025-starting-at-about-1-million-for-a-studio-apartment-38